


Rage Consumes Even The Strongest

by Ashcantwrite



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Anakin did not pay attention in school, Anakin is trying his best, Angst, Canon Divergence - Battle of Mustafar, Cody is very worried all the time, Established Relationship, F/M, M/M, Obi-wan also has the big depression, Obi-wan goes darkside, Order 66, chapter 3: Character death, no beta we die like men, no one is safe from this AU, that shit hurted, this is the bad au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-16
Updated: 2020-03-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:28:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23166232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ashcantwrite/pseuds/Ashcantwrite
Summary: Obi-wan is like a candle, burns brightly for all to see, wavers only slightly but remains strong, builds himself up from things that burn him out, The candle has been snuffed into darkness
Relationships: CC-2224 | Cody/Obi-Wan Kenobi, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker
Comments: 8
Kudos: 76





	1. The Light Is Dimming

Obi-wan Kenobi was known for being the ideal Jedi. He was smart, compassionate, kind, unattached, calm, patient, filled with love and respect for all things, and good with his lightsaber. People looked up to him, mainly Anakin and Ahsoka. They looked up to the way that he carried himself, the way that even through his trials he remained positive and stayed onto the light side. He had suffered so many losses at the hands of the sith and separatists, it was amazing to see that he hadn’t gone crazy with revenge. Someone like him is what others would think of when they thought of the ‘perfect Jedi’. However, the truth was far from that. He put on an act around the council so they only knew his ideal self. Obi-wan Kenobi was reckless, arrogant, indifferent to most life forms besides those he was closest to, he had attachments in the past and was currently attached to his clone commander, restless, he even had a tendency to be impatient, but most of all he was filled with hate and vengeance. He had lost his family, his planet, his master, his ex-girlfriend who he would have left the order to be with, his troops constantly died on his watch, he nearly lost Anakin on multiple occasions. Obi-wan’s hands were coated in blood that he could not wash off. 

No one is perfect, not even the great Obi-wan Kenobi. For a while Obi-wan was strong enough to not be tempted by the dark side. He knew that if he gave into his hate and guilt he would turn to the dark side quicker then anyone had before. The sheer support of his troops, Anakin, Ahsoka, and everyone else he held dear, where the only thing keeping him out of the dark. 

Some days he could ignore it and keep living. Some other days he thought about giving in, thought about what it would be like to seek revenge. He wanted to make Darth Maul, and a long list of others pay for what they did to him. During those days he would be quieter, and would remain in his quarters for as long as he possibly could. Cody was first to notice how his energy had gone away, how his smile was all a facade to keep concerned looks and questions from the others at bay. Cody asked him about it, Obi-wan denied it and said he was just a little tired. 

Obi-wan slept as much as he could those days, if he wasn’t assigned a mission he’d spend the whole cycle in his quarters sleeping. If this happened during a mission, he’d tell Cody to lead them and he’d stick to walking alone. He felt guilty, about being guilty. He felt guilty that he wasn’t as strong as everyone thought he was. He was supposed to be the perfect Jedi, and yet here he was wanting to seek revenge on those who had wronged him. 

Cody and general Kenobi had a sort of relationship going on. They had confessed to each other a while back, but no one knew. Not even the 212th. They couldn’t risk the Jedi Order finding out. If the order found out Obi-wan would be kicked out of the order and the war, and Cody would be sent to be decommissioned. For the sake of everyone and their own safety they kept it private. There were rumors, but they were all silenced or shut down very quickly. Whenever Kenobi would have one of his days, the rumors would begin again. Everyone could see Cody worrying, they could see him trying to talk to the general in a tone that he normally wouldn’t use with anyone else. During one of these days as Obi-wan tried to sleep his hatred away, Cody went to Anakin for assistance. He walked right up to Skywalker’s quarters and knocked, Cody could hear muffled cursing and things moving on the other side of the door. When the door opened with a low hiss, Skywalker looked like he had just woken up from a nap himself. 

“Commander Cody?” General Skywalker looked at the commander with a confused and concerned expression. Cody and Anakin didn’t talk much, they only really trusted each other thanks to Rex and Obi-wan. The only times they would talk one on one is if there was an issue with either Rex or Obi-wan. “What can I do for you?”

“It’s about General Kenobi, sir. May I come in?” Cody normally didn’t ask to be let in, unless it was urgent. Anakin stepped aside and nodded as he allowed the commander into his quarters. Cody sat down at Anakin’s desk chair as Anakin took a seat on his bed.

“What about him? Is he hurt?”

“Not physically, sir. but...I can almost  _ feel _ that he’s hurting emotionally and I’m unsure of what to do. It isn’t a constant thing, but something is off with him.” Cody’s eyes screamed worry. Anakin however seemed more confused than when he first opened the door.

“You can  _ feel _ that he’s emotionally hurting? Only those sensitive to the force can tell emotions apart and I certainly haven’t picked up anything.” He didn’t seem convinced. 

“I don’t understand it either sir. I just...I just know that he’s in trouble. All he seems to do is sleep or go on missions with us. I haven’t felt him happy in so long. And yes I know there is a war going on, but he’s been...almost shut off from m-us. He’s been shut off from us for many weeks now.” Cody tried to explain it the best he could, but his worry was making his words get jumbled in his mouth. The pair sat in silence for a moment as Anakin thought about the situation, then he stood up and stepped slowly closer to Cody. 

“Cody, can I check something- I’m not nearly as attuned to it as Obi-wan or the other masters but I need to try”

“What are you going to do sir?”

“I’m not going to hurt you, I’m just going to rest my hand on your shoulder.” That certainly didn’t answer Cody’s question but he obliged and nodded, allowing Anakin to check whatever he was checking for. Just like he had said, Anakin placed a hand on Cody’s shoulder and closed his eyes. Before he could ask what was happening, Cody felt his mind being cleared and replaced by a surge of energy that gave Cody chills all up and down his spine. Then he thought about Obi-wan, and everything they had been through these past few days. Obi-wan had started out his bad days with just allowing Cody to see him, to no one could see him. It started with soft words of affirmation, and turned into worried glances around the halls. Cody could feel the dred and hatred coming from his general, it wasn’t hatred towards Cody, but the fact that hatred was there at all scared him. Anakin let go after a few minutes and sat back down with a “Huh…”. It was more of a noise than a word. He had apparently found what he was looking for. 

“What did you do?”

“I was checking to see if I could feel your force signature, Obi-wan does it all the time so it can be done. And I had a hunch to check. You, my friend, are what we call ‘force sensitive’ which means you have a stronger signature than most people, but not strong enough to be a Jedi...you also have an actual force bond with my master. Which is strange.”

“Is it strange because I’m a clone sir?”

“No not that” Anakin thought for a moment, scratching his chin and clearly trying to channel his inner Obi-wan. “I’m not great at explaining these things- but people who have force bonds are- well they’re- they’re attached. Yeah that’s a good word for it. You’ll have to ask Obi-wan when he’s feeling better about that since I clearly didn’t listen to him explain it to me.” 

“I’ll make sure to do that- what does my being ‘force sensitive’ have to do with helping Ob- General Kenobi?”

“It was just something that I had to check, since you said you could  _ feel _ when he was upset. That's normally a force thing. Let’s go check on Obi-wan, see if I can talk some sense into him.”

Anakin had been busy with missions, or sneaking out to go to Coruscant for a few days, so he hadn’t actually been around Obi-wan enough to notice the changes. So of course Anakin thought the commander was overreacting just a little, but still promised to see things through to the end. On their walk over Anakin tried his hand at explaining force sensitivity and force bonds again. Clearly someone didn’t pay attention in jedi school, because he kept repeating that if two individuals have a force bond there is a certain reason for it. Which was cryptic, unhelpful, and raised more questions than answers. Anakin had just said to ask Obi-wan or one of the other masters about it, when they came across Obi-wan’s door. Midway through what would have been a snarky remark, Anakin stopped in his tracks. 

“What…” His voice was so quiet, it sounded involuntary. Anakin looked around the seemingly normal door frame and his eyes widened. Cody only saw the door frame and a very scared Anakin. What Anakin saw was darkness. Darkness seeping out of his old masters door. Darker than even he had gone before he had gotten help in bouncing back into the light. There was so much raw emotion emitting from that room that any Jedi would have toppled over in whiplash. Anakin just stood there frozen, Cody thought he was waiting for him to open the door so he cautiously walked over and punched in the code to open Obi-wan’s door. As the door hissed open, the darkness gushed out and nearly swallowed Anakin right back into its grasp. He refused it’s hold and walked forward as well as he could. He walked into the room, determined to find the source. The source was his master. Obi-wan was still on his bed, asleep. His face was tense and it was clear he was having a nightmare. Seeing this, Cody rushed to his side and grabbed his hand. With Cody's presence around Obi-wan, the darkness seemed to return back to the room, only emitting from the general himself instead of the whole room. Cody squeezed Obi-wan’s hand and gave soft words of safety and affirmation. That seemed to be enough to make the darkness disappear and Anakin could see his master sleeping more contently. Cody looked up at Anakin as he held tightly onto his generals hand. 

“Will he be okay sir?”

“I…” Anakin paused, took a deep breath, but when he opened his mouth to speak he couldn’t find the right words. He didn’t know if Obi-wan would be okay. He wanted him to be, but he wasn’t sure if even Obi-wan could pull through that much darkness. 

  
  


_ When dark light falls, It turns, Everything into black, Which looks as if everything is burnt, Or dissolved, Leaving burnt ashes, Without any smell of burns. _

_ Nothing is left out when the dark light falls, But all you can see is the darkness, All around. _


	2. Giving In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-wan is an empty shell of a man- all that remains is rage and guilt.

It had been weeks since Cody went to Anakin for help. Since then Anakin had a hard time looking at Obi-wan, even on his good days. His force signature was so clouded with darkness he could see it without having to look inside his mind. In those few weeks they had not come across any of the other Jedi, if they did Obi-wan would for sure be out of the council. Even though it pained him, Anakin did his best to bring his master back to the light. 

Anakin was once the one shrouded in darkness, but through the help of Obi-wan, Padme, Ahsoka the 501st and even the 212th, he got pulled back. Yes Anakin was still reckless and impatient, but he was now on a clear path towards the light and the Order was proud of him. He thought that if he could bounce back, Obi-wan could too. He made sure Cody was with him every mission, he asked Kix and Helix to make sure he was taking care of himself, He made Obi-wan and Ahsoka have weekly meditation sessions with him. It all seemed to help for a little while. Some days Obi-wan would smile and joke around like always, some days he was back to barely speaking. His downhill spiral hadn’t been like Anakin’s. Anakin going darkness was his violent rage, and how he’d do anything (even killing) to protect the ones he cared for. Anakin was violent and reckless, Obi-wan was distant and quiet. The darkness was still there. Silently waiting to be let loose. 

Anakin had a plan to bring Obi-wan back to the light before the other Jedi masters knew what was happening. The galaxy decided to put a giant nail in his plan, they were called to coruscant for a meeting with the rest of the Jedi. Anakin had tried to tell the others that Obi-wan was bed ridden for a few days and would not be able to make the meeting- when Obi-wan walked into the room, and in complete view of call. Windu gave Anakin a strange look, but then started planning things with Obi-wan. For once in his life Anakin didn’t want to go to Coruscant. Before retreating to his room, he told Cody and Rex the situation and told them to get ready for Coruscant.

\---

Anakin had been allowed to stand in on the meeting, which had gone normally enough. No one mentioned anything to Obi-wan. They all felt something looming over him, but figured it was just the coast of the war taking a bit of a toll on him so the council ignored it. Obi-wan barely spoke a word the entire meeting, when he did it was comment about how certain Jedi weren’t taking this seriously and treated their troops just like droids. This has been said to Anakin in private, but never has Obi-wan spoken up about his opinions during an actual meeting. They usually have an hour long talk after words to vent it all out to each other. Obi-wan is also known for his sarcasm and being the snarky one, yet whenever he spoke his voice was filled with malice and disgust. That was the only thing that had shocked the other Jedi. 

After the meeting they had been told to tell their new plans to the chancellor. No matter what was said, it was always those two talking to the chancellor, who was also the main reason Anakin was allowed into the meetings. The chancellor had trusted Anakin for a reason no one knew or bothered to ask, so they used it to their advantage. 

They opened the door to find Senator Amidala already in the room talking with the chancellor. She turned and greeted each of them with a smile and a slight nod. Her eyes followed Anakin and Obi-wan as they stepped further into the room. 

“What can I do for you gentlemen?” Chancellor Palpatine asked, looking at them both. Anakin explained the situation, and the plan that the Order had proposed. Something about not being able to land on this planet until a Republic representative arrived first and explained where the Jedi stood in this war. Padme offered to be that representative, and as much as Anakin hated putting her in danger, he agreed with her. During this small meeting with the chancellor, Obi-wan didn’t speak. He just walked as Anakin explained then turned with him when it was time to go. As Obi-wan was about to step out the door the Chancellor spoke up again. 

“Master Kenobi, may I speak with you for a moment?” Without giving a verbal affirmation, Obi-wan turned back into the room and walked back to where he was just standing. Anakin thought it was odd, but he was tired and happy that he got a little bit of alone time with his wife. So those two walked off, leaving Palpatine and Obi-wan in the chancellor’s office. 

“What can I do for you, chancellor?” Obi-wan spoke finally but there was no feeling or emotion behind his voice. He had become an empty shell of a man. 

“I sense an uneasiness in you, is it the council?”

Obi-wan perked up in interest at that,  _ how could he have known it was a problem that started with the council? _ To his own surprise, he began to explain. “They have given me the rank of master, and for that I should be grateful. Yet they continue to treat me like a knight. I should have some kind of say in the decisions but they simply shot down what I have to say. Kriff, it seems like they listen to Anakin more than me. The sith are out there and should be brought down, they should not even be given the right to rot away in a cell- they need to be killed. But the Jedi do not take revenge.”

“It seems like they do not trust you anymore Kenobi, they know your future and fear that you will become stronger then they can control. There is more to the force than what the Jedi Order are telling you.”   
  
“How do you know the ways of the force?”   
  
“My late mentor taught me everything about the force, even the nature of the dark side…” the chancellor's voice trailed off as if he were remembering something.   
  
“You...you know the dark side?”

“Kenobi, if one is to understand the great mystery, one must study all it’s aspects...not just the narrow minded view of the Jedi. If you are to become the great leader I know you are- you must embrace a larger view of the force. Give in to your emotions Obi-wan. Do what you think is the correct thing to do. If that means seeking revenge, then by all means do it” Kenobi listened carefully to the chancellor's words. He knew to avoid the dark side, he knew to stay strong, to fight against it. But all he asked for was the Darth Maul be killed for good and that this war would end. His guilt to continue acting as General was close to the only thing keeping him in the light. Truly, he was driven by rage. All of the battles against the droid army gave him a chance to blow off some steam, it was never enough. He needed vengeance. 

“What if I fall to the darkside.”

“Who’s to say you haven’t already. There truly is no light or dark side. It is simply doing what you think is right.”    
  
Obi-wan nodded as a thanks and left the room without another word, he had heard enough and needed some time to think. 

\---

It had been around a month since Obi-wan's conversation with Palpatine. Now, he seemed very different. His sarcastic tone was replaced with insults laced with malice. Cody still stayed as close to his general as he could, but Obi-wan barely spoke to him, or to any of the men on a personal terms like he used to. Cody got used to sleeping in the barracks again, even the other members of the 212th could see how much he didn’t want to be there. 

Obi-wan used to be the kindest general of them all, he loved his men like natural born family. He knew their likes, dislikes, how to tell them apart even on a battlefield. He still knew those things, he was just now very cold. He called them by their names, and still mourned losses of the troops, but he seemed very cold and uncaring to them. The 212th and 501st were starting to get worried and scared of him. They’re kind general was becoming distant to anyone he once cared for. If they went up to speak with him, they would get no reply. Not even Anakin or Ahsoka would be able to get a response out of him. 

Cody cried over it multiple occasions, sometimes in front of Anakin or Rex, but he mostly found a hole away from everyone and just cried. He had lost his  _ cyar’ika. _ Obi-wan wasn’t dead, but it felt like he was. They had talked about getting married after the war, moving to a peaceful planet, maybe even adopting kids and raising them together. They both wanted a life after the war, and Cody knew they were so close to having that happen. But at the state that Obi-wan was in, nothing could get through to him. Sometimes he would allow hugs, hand kisses, forehead touches. But whenever they got close, Obi-wan’s eyes just seemed to say ‘ _ I’m sorry _ ’. Their bond through the force hadn’t frayed or weakened. It was still as strong as ever. Cody could feel Obi-wan’s grasp on the light slipping. 

Obi-wan was fading away and there was nothing Cody could do about it. 


	3. Shattered Loyalty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One word- Utapau

The 212th were back on Coruscant because the chancellor had requested their presence. Well not so much the troops, but Obi-wan. The chancellor had stopped his one on one conversations with Anakin, and began to have them Obi-wan. Anakin feared that the chancellor was corrupting him, as he almost did to Anakin. No one would believe him, so he stayed quiet. 

Anakin was going through so much, his wife was pregnant, his master was slipping to the darkside with no sign of return, he had to watch the troops worry silently over the other general, he had to watch as Cody tried to stay strong for all of them. Anakin had to be the strong one like Obi-wan always was, and he didn’t know if he could do it. 

Chancellor Palpatine and Obi-wan were currently in the chancellor's office by themselves, no guards besides those stationed outside the door, not even Anakin or Cody were allowed inside.

“I have just received word that some of our clone troops have located General Grievous. He’s hiding, on utapau.” the chancellor spoke staring out the window, not actually looking at Obi-wan. Obi-wan walked closer to the window and stood next to him. 

“At last...We’ll be able to capture that monster and end this war” Obi-wan held his hands behind his back, he was smirking but it wasn’t the playful smirk most were used to. He had adopted a more malicious smirk, as well as darker robes. His excuse was that he was tired of his lighter robes getting dirty all the time, whereas with darker colors it’s easier to hide any dirt. In reality, he didn’t want to hide behind a mask. Obi-wan didn’t want to seem lightside anymore, it felt wrong. He still had some light in him, but it was as bright as a small candle in a massive dark cave. There, but just barely. 

“It seems the council has sent Anakin to do this mission, it is strange that they did not choose you. You do have the most history with Grievous do you not?” The chancellor turned his head slightly to look at Obi-wan, whose face was filled with disgust. 

“It is because I have a history with Grievous that they did not send me. He needs to pay for what he has done, but the Order has their own way of doing things. A way that doesn’t allow revenge.” His words held venom towards the council. He needed to be the one to take Grievous down.

“I would worry about the collective wisdom of the council. They didn’t select you for this assignment, even though you are by far the best choice. You know his moves, his mind, his weaknesses.” 

“The council is filled with fools, I’m beginning to see that more and more.”   
  
“You would be very right on that, my friend. Search your feelings Obi-wan, you must do what you believe to be right. If it were up to me, I’d send you to Utapau so that you can finally settle the score with Grievous.”   
  
“The thought is appreciated, chancellor. However I’m sure Anakin can handle this one” Obi-wan’s words reflected what the council wanted him to say, but his body language betrayed him. His fists were clenched so tightly his knuckles were becoming white. His face had a permanent scowl that showed just how angry he had become. 

“Anakin is incredibly reckless is he not? He could get himself killed out there.”   
  
The chancellor was right, Anakin was reckless and hadn’t fought against Grievous nearly as many times as Obi-wan. This was Obi-wan’s fight. He was going to see it through till the end.

\---

Utapau was a pitiful planet. No greenery, just dirt and rocks. Obi-wan hated it. He hated how bland and plain it looked. Not as bad as Tattoine, but up there with being boring and dull. Obi-wan had successfully killed Grievous, with no help from Anakin. Anakin was busy checking on his men and helping them to safety. Just as they were knocking down the remaining droids, Cody got a call on his comm. He answered it. A figure in a dark hooded robe stood on the other side.

“Commander Cody. It is time. Execute order 66” 

_ What _

Cody nodded, hung up the call, and pointed his blaster towards- Anakin? No this couldn’t be right. He couldn’t be doing this. His mind told him that he trusted General Skywalker with his life, his mind told him that they were basically friends at this point. Yet his body remained pointing his blaster at Anakin. Cody had a headache. Something was coming over him. Something he did not have the strength to fight. Cody noticed his vode also firing their blasters at the Jedi. Rex seemed to be the only one not attacking him. He heard Rex yell “GO! I’ll hold them off!” as he lifted his injured body off the ground and protected Anakin from the other vode. He could see Anakin’s lips moving but he was too out of it to hear what he said. Soon after, Anakin was gone. 

Jes- CT-5597, held up his blaster close to Rex’s face and shot point blank without another word. He then turned to the other vode. “CT-7567 was a traitor” and that was the end of Rex. Nothing massive, nothing heroic, just shot point black by his own vod.

Cody lowered his blaster and looked around for any other Jedi. He was having a mental battle with himself. He wanted to find Obi-wan to protect him from the vode, but he also feared what Cody, himself, would do if he found Obi-wan. Whatever was trying to override his brain, had set in one clear order.  _ Kill all Jedi _ . Cody knew he couldn’t. He loved his general too much to ever lay a harmful hand on him. He was about to crash to the floor and risk meeting the same fate as Rex, when he heard the sound of a lightsaber. Cody turned and saw something he never wanted to see. Something that pained him beyond belief. Something that nearly made him give up. 

His dear General. His  _ cyar’ika _ . Was mowing down the 212th with his own lightsaber. They were trying to shoot him, he was slicing through them before they could. Boil, Longshot, Gearshift, Helix, all slain. All slain by the man they all loved most of all. The general stopped in front of Cody, he stood in his normal battle stance. Cody nearly burst into tears at the sight. His general’s eyes were no longer a warming blue, they were almost yellow. His smile no longer held the sun, it was filled with malice and intent to kill. Cody could feel the general’s rage. 

“Are you next, commander?”

Unwillingly, Cody raised his blaster and aimed it at the General. He didn’t want to do this, he could not be responsible for killing the man he loves. His body moved against his will. “Please sir. Don’t make me do this.” The blaster was aimed, safety was off, his finger close to the trigger. 

“I trusted you! I trusted all of you! And now look at you all, firing your ridiculous guns at me! I protected all of you when no else did, and this is what I get! Do you think I enjoyed having to use my weapon on all of you?” The General was yelling, venom and rage spewed out of mouth more aggressively than Cody had ever seen.

Using all of his will power, Cody took one hand off the blaster and took off his helmet. Cody was crying. Tears flowed down his checks as he tried to speak. “Sir...Obi-wan...this isn’t us- Something happened and I don’t know how much longer I can fight it. Please run Cyare.  _ Please.  _ I don’t want to hurt you” 

Obi-wan didn’t seem convinced. “To think, I had actually loved you. I betrayed the Jedi Order for you. I’m not taking any more chances” Obi-wan raised his saber, then quickly brought it down faster than Cody could dodge. Cody moved out of the way as fast as he could, but he wasn’t fast enough. The arm that held his blaster had been sliced off at the elbow. Cody screamed so loud his throat hurt. The force bond between them had shattered. Cody felt the pain from his arm, his throat, his heart, his mind, but he also now had a gaping hole in his soul where Obi-wan used to be. Cody collapsed onto the ground and Obi-wan kicked his seemingly dead body off the cliff. 


	4. Raging Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cody is okay- well sort of.   
> Anakin is also very stubborn and refuses to give up hope, even if it kills him.

Cody was alive. He was hidden in a small cave and broken both physically and mentally. But Cody was alive. He sat hidden away tucked into a small pocket under the cliff. He didn’t want to be alive anymore. His brothers were dead, even if their bodies still moved, their souls were gone. His dear  _ cyare _ had tried to kill him too. Even the brother he was closest too was gone, shot by one of their own. Cody heard the ships take off in between his silent sobs. What had happened. How had everything gone so wrong. Whatever he was fighting before had given up, Cody had broken free from the spell. He was back to being in control of his actions. Even so, he had no idea what to do. He didn’t know whether or not to comm Anakin or any of the other Jedi. If he did, they might just shoot him point blank. He trusted Anakin and Padme, he even trusted Ahsoka when she was still around. He only hoped that wherever she was, she was safe. He couldn’t even try to blend in with his vode, they would be able to tell that he had broken away from the spell's grasp and had free will. In the midst of his crisis, he had received another call on his commlink. Hesitantly, he pulled his arm up and answered the call. 

“Cody- Cody can you hear me?” It was General Skywalker! Why would he bother calling Cody? Did he not see Cody aiming a blaster at both him and Obi-wan. Cody knew Anakin was a wild card, but this was something else entirely. 

“General..?” Cody’s helmet was still on the top of the cliff, so Anakin was definitely able to see his tears. 

“You’re still you right? Something happened to the others and I can’t find Rex.”

“J...Jesse shot him, sir.” Cody choked back a sob. Anakin was quiet on the other end for a few minutes. Even through the hologram, Cody could see him taking deep breaths. He had learned to take deep breaths whenever he felt angry, so he could keep the darkside at bay. Cody could see his chest rising and falling, eyes closed, and fists clenched. 

“What. Happened.” 

“I…” Cody was keeping his voice down just in case someone had noticed him. “I don’t really know sir. I got a weird call, a huge headache and everything went downhill from there...and General Kenobi- the general- he-” Cody could barely get his words out before tears started streaming down his face again. “I- I apologize sir” 

“You can explain when we pick you up, something happened and I think you’re our best bet to figuring out what it was. Where are you?” Anakin still looked stressed, but figured having this conversation in person was a better idea. 

“Still on Utapau sir, under the cliff where everyone started to change.”

“Under the cliff? That was a two hundred foot drop at best! Are you hurt?”

“I...I’ll explain later.”

“Right. Give me a bit of time, I’ll find you”

\---

Finding Cody was easier said than done. Anakin had found Padme, rushed her, R2, and 3PO onto a ship and flew as fast as he could back to Utapau. Going back to the scene of where it all went down was...hard to put it lightly. Bodies of droids and clones scattered on the cliff top. The clones were filled with lightsaber burns, Anakin knew it had been done by Obi-wan. He didn’t want to think about it, but he knew what Obi-wan had done. As he flew the ship down the cliff side, Padme spotted Cody.    
  
“There he is!” With that Anakin glanced over to see, Cody was curled into himself and clenching what remained of his left arm. Anakin landed the ship nearby and ran out to get Cody. 

“Cody! Cody buddy can you hear me!” Anakin carefully touched his shoulder, making Cody flinch at the touch. “Hey, Cody it’s okay.” 

“General..?” Cody looked frightened. He trusted Anakin, but after the day he had he wasn’t sure who to trust. 

"You’re okay, I know you’re not going to hurt me, and I'm not going to hurt you. Let's get you on the ship and figure this out” Anakin helped him to his feet, and walked Cody to the ship. Once inside, Anakin took the pilot’s seat and Padme led Cody to a spare chair. 

Anakin knew Obi-wan was headed to Mustafar, so on their way Anakin asked Cody to explain what he knew. Cody obliged. He explained the call just after Grievous was announced dead, the insane headache he got, how he had to fight to keep his freewill, how his body moved on it’s own, how he saw Rex die protecting Anakin, how he saw all of his brothers turn into empty thoughtless shells, and how he saw Obi-wan kill all of the 212th. Looking down at his now stubbed arm, he explained how he felt Obi-wan’s fear, guilt and rage all in one. Cody did his best to explain the break of the force bond without too much crying. He was about to explain how Obi-wan was the one to slice his arm off in an attempt to kill him, but he couldn’t get the words out. He looked down and sobbed, he tried to be subtle about it because he had never cried in front of anyone besides Obi-wan and Rex. Padme gave him a caring and concerning expression and pulled him into a hug. The only sounds that could be heard were the silent sobs coming from the clone commander. He was happy that Padme and Anakin trusted him still, but the pain he felt greatly outweighed that. 

He liked Padme. She was always sweet and kind to him. Before Obi-wan had even begun to turn, Padme knew how Cody felt about his general. She was smart like that. They bonded over their idiot Jedi, how stubborn and reckless they both were. During Obi-wan’s early days of darkness, Padme couldn’t help but look at Cody with a sympathetic look in her eye. She had even tried to help him bring Obi-wan back, just as she did for Anakin. But after all that had happened. Anakin and Padme both knew there was no help left for their dear friend Obi-wan. 

“What are you going to do once we get to Mustafar” Padme turned her head to look at her husband, still trying to console the clone commander in her arms.

“I’m going to do what he’s always done for me. Try to talk some sense into him. He’s my master, and my friend. I can do this”

“Anakin he will kill you! Did you not see what happened on Utapau!” 

“I know what he did, he’s just lost. Just like I was. I had killed hundreds of defenseless sand people just because of what they did to my mother, yet he acted as if that never happened. If I can be brought back from such a dark place, so can he. I’m sure of it. I will not give up on him just yet”

“Anakin, I admire your loyalty to him, just....be careful okay?” Padme looked worried, but Anakin gave a nod in response. After crying for so long, Cody accidentally fell asleep in the senators arms. She carefully placed him back onto the chair and let him rest. Padme stood and sat in the co-pilot's chair, looking at her husband. She kept her voice low as she spoke, “What are we going to do with him..?”

“I’m not sure..he could always live with us if you're okay with that. I know he’s technically a clone, but if he goes out there-”   
  
“One of his brothers might kill him, I know. I feel so bad for him. I don’t know how much you knew...but he loved Obi-wan”   
  
“Of course he did, all of the 212th and 501st did”   
  
“No, Anakin. He loved Obi-wan like I love you.” That comment made Anakin’s eyes go wide and his mouth went silent. “We sort of bonded over falling in love with stubborn Jedi, and having to hide it from the order. The way he talked about Obi-wan...I’ve never seen anyone so...infatuated with someone else- well besides maybe you. And for him to go through all of this...It’s what I feared would happen to us”

“He...Obi-wan- He tried to kill Cody!” Anakin was getting angry again. Not only had he lost his best friend who was also his captain, but his old master had someone who loved him more than anything in the galaxy- and his master tried to kill that man. 

“Shhh- keep your voice down, He’s trying to sleep.” Padme turned her chair around to check that Cody was still asleep, thankfully he was so Padme spun back. 

“Was it mutual?”

“What?”

“Cody and Obi-wan”

“I believe it was, Cody never told me anything outright, but it seemed that they were that close.”

“Then how- He- Not even I dared to hurt you while I was close to the darkside” The words Anakin wanted to say to Obi-wan seemed to be turning more on the aggressive side. 

“I know...that’s why I feel so bad for him...as much as I care for Obi-wan, he needs to be locked up for what he did. But with the state of the Republic, I’m not sure how feasible that is.

“I’ll get him back, I know I can. For my sake, and for Cody’s” 

About an hour later, Cody had woken up to Padme wrapping some new bandages around his stubbed arm. “We’ll see about getting you a metal prosthetic like Anakin’s once we get somewhere safe” She said smiling at him. He thanked her and looked out the window at the planet they were approaching. 

“Sir where are we?”

“Mustafar, and ranks are kinda gone now- you can just call me Anakin.” Anakin turned and smiled at him for a moment before turning his attention back to the planet. Through the force, Anakin could tell where Obi-wan was. He used that to guide them to a landing platform. Looking through the windows, they could all see Obi-wan walking their way. He was donned in his new black robes, eyes still that terrifying yellow Cody had seen before, his presence was intimidating and no longer the calming negotiator they all loved. Anakin got out of his chair and headed towards the door, Padme stopped him.    


“Please...Please Anakin be careful.” She held onto him tightly, then kissed him on the lips. Anakin returned the hug as well as the kiss, he was worried but he needed to do this. 

“I’ll be alright, I’m just going to talk to him. You and Cody stay here with the droids....I love you Padme.”   
  
“I love you too Anakin…” She hesitantly let go and let Anakin step past her. Just before he stepped out the door of the ship he turned towards Cody. 

“I’ll get him back” Anakin pressed the button, the latch opened and down he went. Padme kept to her promise and sat on the floor of the ship, staying hidden from the windows. She was worried she may never see her husband again. Cody sat next to her, in case she needed someone to lean onto. 

Outside of the ship Obi-wan glared at Anakin as he walked closer to his former master. Around them was nothing but darkness and lava. The entire planet smelled of heat and ash. Anakin didn’t like it at all. The two stared at each other for a few moments, but it felt like hours until someone spoke. Obi-wan was actually the first one to open his mouth, he kept his hands behind his back, with his chest puffed out like he knew he was better than anyone else.

“What are you doing here Anakin.” It was more of a command then a question.

“I haven’t heard from you since Utapau, I thought you died with the troops. But I sensed you were here.”   
  
“You came all the way out to Mustafar to check if I was alive? I’m flattered, but that’s not why you're here. You want to pull me back to the light don’t you? Well Anakin, I’ve got to say you’ve got some guts. But you’re still the child from Tatoonine. You never listen to me, so why should I listen to you?” Obi-wan’s sarcastic comments had become insults instead of light fun around friends. It hurt to hear. 

“Because you’re like a father to me Obi-wan. I loved you like family, and it hurts seeing you in a place that I was. If someone like me can bounce back, I know you can too. For me, for the 212th, for Cod-”

"Keep that name out of your mouth” Obi-wan spit out his words with more aggression than Anakin had ever heard come from anyone, including himself. “He nearly killed me, so I killed him first. I had to kill the man I held closest to my heart. Do you have  _ any idea _ what that’s like!”

“Master- Cody’s alive. You didn’t kill him, but he needs you back more than ever. We all do. I know there is still good in you master. You’ve let Palpatine twist your mind just like he tried to twist mine. Now you’ve become the very thing you swore to destroy.”

“Don’t lecture me Anakin. I am still your master. I see through the lies of the Jedi. I no longer fear the darkside as I once did. I have brought peace, freedom, justice, and security to my new empire.”

“Your new empire?” Anakin could not believe the words coming out of Obi-wan’s mouth. It had only started with a bit of rage, now he was talking about leading an empire. What had happened to his dear master.

“Don’t make me kill you, Anakin.” Obi-wan’s face turned into an angry glower.

“Obi-wan...Our allegiance is to the Republic! To democracy! What lies has Palpatine been feeding you...” Anakin’s hope for his master was slipping with every second. 

“If you’re not with me, then you’re my enemy.” Obi-wan took off his outer robe, unclipped his lightsaber and stood in his fighting stance. 

“Only a sith deals in absolutes…” Anakin unclipped his lightsaber and stood read for a fight, a fight he never thought in a million years would have happened. “I will do what I must”

Obi-wan was the first one to attack, quickly rushing towards Anakin with his lightsaber aimed for the throat. Anakin blocked it just in time, the heat from the clashing sabers already hitting his face. He moves his saber to counterattack but is quickly blocked by Obi-wan’s saber. The same motion of counterattacks, parrying, and blocking continue for a few moments. With every attempted hit Obi-wan makes, Anakin steps back. Their sabers are going so quickly that Anakin is walking backwards at a brisk pace. Obi-wan has rage and betrayal in his eyes, Anakin is still filled with determination. 

At a few points where their sabers were connected, Anakin tries to spin using his whole body in an attempt to knock the lightsaber out of Obi-wan’s hand. Instead it messes up his stance and he ends up stumbling backwards a few steps, barely being able to parry Obi-wan’s attacks. Obi-wan had made him walk so far backward that they ended up at a dead end. Anakin stepped to the side as he tried his spin movement again, it still didn’t knock the saber out of Obi-wan’s hand but it had switched their positions. Obi-wan was now the one back against the cliff. He did not like being the one backed into the metaphorical corner. Obi-wan quickly raised his leg and kicked Anakin in the stomach, sending him flying backward for a few seconds. Anakin back flipped while in the air and landed on his feet. Obi-wan took this opportunity to run to a different area, probably hoping of losing Anakin along the way. Anakin ran after him, trying to not let the heat of the planet mixed with the surrounding metal get to him.

Anakin finally caught up to him on a metal bridge. Anakin raised his saber first as he caught up to his old master. Obi-wan turned on his heel and parried it with ease. The motions of strike, parry, and counterattack resumed as they walked across the bridge. When their sabers connected, Obi-wan spun them around which made Anakin resume his position of being the one to walk backward. Obi-wan’s eyes now held bloodlust and intent to kill. Anakin was becoming worried, but he kept strong and kept raising his saber and striking his former master. 

The strikes, the parries, the spinning motions, continued till they were off the bridge and into a large covered area. Anakin took a few steps back and looked at Obi-wan with a scared expression. “Please master. I don’t want to do this…”

“Oh, but I do” He raised his saber and struck it down faster than Anakin had ever seen. Anakin jumped out the way of the blade and spun to be at Obi-wan’s back. At the same time he reached down to grab the hand that held Obi-wan’s saber, Obi-wan reached up to grab the hand that held Anakin’s saber. Obi-wan managed to release his hand from Anakin’s’s grasp. Anakin used his now free hand to break free of Obi-wan’s grasp. He grabbed Obi-wan’s empty hand and tried to turn him around. The turn had worked, Anakin raised his lightsaber and struck down at Obi-wan, who was still a little disoriented from the sudden spin. Somehow Obi-wan blocked Anakin’s saber with his own, even as he stood half bent over. Using the momentum of the block, Obi-wan stood back up and pushed Anakin back. Anakin took a few steps backward and continued to back up as their Strike, block, counter attack patterned resumes itself. This pattern had moved them into a small corridor, where the lightsabers clashed with the walls and created sparks in their wake. Neither seemed to notice the amount of sparks flying around them, they were only focused on each other.

Obi-wan had finally backed Anakin into some kind of control room. Anakin took the opportunity of the open space to take a few steps back. Obi-wan raised his saber high and lunged at him, giving Anakin very little time to block it. Their patterned resumed as they walked around the room, and around the corpses of the banking clan members and droids who worked here before Obi-wan arrived. Obi-wan connected their sabers and brought them down in a large scoop in an attempt to rid Anakin of his saber. Anakin only brought the sabers above their heads and clashed both his and Obi-wan’s lightsabers into the control panels they were standing next to. Anakin moved his body in an attempt to step back again, only for his neck to be caught in Obi-wan’s hand. Obi-wan forced Anakin into a backbend, his grip on Anakin’s thought tightening with every second. Anakin couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t do anything. The hand that held his lightsaber was being held off by Obi-wan's other hand. Obi-wan bent him backwards, and tried to force Anakin’s own lightsaber close to his face. The saber was inches away from Anakin’s face, as well as Anakin being inches from the floor, when Anakin kicked his leg up and kicked Obi-wan in his side. The momentum of the kick made Obi-wan roll forwards, and land on his back. Anakin rolled forwards in the direction he was facing and they both stood up as quickly as they could. 

Anakin had been in the middle of regaining his balance when Obi-wan rushed forward towards him at a running speed. Anakin held up his lightsaber, read for their strike, dodge, parry, pattern to being again. Obi-wan had other plans. As he rushed forward, he jumped up and kicked Anakin right in the arm, knocking them both on their asses. Anakin quickly regained ground and stood again. Obi-wan was already standing and running towards him for round two. Anakin lifted his leg up, tripping Obi-wan and making him fall forwards into the ground with a loud “AUGH”. Obi-wan was now laying on his back with Anakin standing over him, lightsaber raised to the sky. Obi-wan brought out his own lightsaber and blocked the massive strike that was headed his way. Obi-wan pushed back with his lightsaber, and with the help of a force push, Anakin was knocked off his feet again. That gave Obi-wan time to stand. Now with a lightsaber in hand, Obi-wan rushed Anakin again. Anakin jumped up and blocked the saber with his own. 

Their pattern began again. The pattern of strike, block, parry, this time neither were walking anywhere. They just stood in place carrying out the same pattern, hoping that they would land a blow somewhere along the line. Obi-wan was getting aggressive, Anakin could see the rage and frustration building on his face. Obi-wan swung big and striked quickly, puting nearly all his strength into this blow. Anakin blocked it with his own saber, and had to change his foot stance to keep from getting slashed. Anakin raised his hand to try to force push him away, but Obi-wan raised his hand at the exact same time. The sheer power from both of them led to both of them being pushed back by the force of the other. They landed on the control panels on opposite sides of the room. Obi-wan was the first to get up, he jumped onto the nearby table and jumped down onto Anakin, Anakin brought his and Obi-wan’s blades onto the control panel. In doing so, they seemed to have broken something rather important. There was a faint sound of a siren going off, but neither seemed to notice. They continued to strike their blades down at each other. As they neared the door, Anakin used the force to open it as he kicked Obi-wan in the stomach again. 

The door opened to reveal the planet's surface. There was a small balcony, and then nothing but hot magma and lava. The surface seemed almost violent. Flowing rivers of hot lava, clashing onto rocks making bits of lava spew everywhere. Again, both were too focused on their fight. Anakin jumped around the corner and then turned behind him, to block Obi-wan’s attack. The balcony was more of a walkway, and it seemed to wrap around the side of the building. Their pattern resumes, this time the walking was included. Anakin was still stuck being the one walking backwards, and all he could do was block like his life depended on it- because it did. Near the end of the walkway, Obi-wan somehow kicked high enough to kick Anakin right in the chin. Anakin stumbled backwards after backing a noise of pain, Obi-wan glared at him as he walked towards him at a fast pace.

Having nowhere to go, Anakin jumped over the railing and onto the metal pipes. He again tried to ignore the new burn sensation in his feet and he looked up waiting for Obi-wan to join him. The metal pipes were incredibly unstable and shook when Obi-wan jumped down onto them. He made cautious steps towards Anakin, and Anakin carefully took steps back. One wrong move and they could end up cooking in lava. They just stared at each other for a while, trying to keep their balance. Obi-wan was the first to try to strike, the motion of striking and then blocking nearly made Anakin fall. Once they regained their blance again, Obi-wan tried for a second strike. That strike did make Anakin fall off the pipe. He landed on a metal platform that was fifty feet down. Seconds later, Obi-wan joined him. Anakin tried to get the first strike in, he rose his saber high and swung down. Only for Obi-wan to sucker punch him in the face. Sending Anakin to the ground. Anakin rolled and stood up, then quickly turned towards his former master and went straight towards the hand that held Obi-wan’s saber. Obi-wan did the same. Both of them were holding the other back by the wrists. A large splash of lava crashed into the platform they were standing on. The two tried to stand their ground, but Obi-wan was much stronger. He pushed Anakin back and Anakin could feel his grip on the ground slipping. Anakin turned them around, so that he was the one pushing. That didn’t last for long. Soon Obi-wan released his grip on Anakin's hand and struck forward with his lightsaber, Anakin blocked it and then Obi-wan swung at his feet. Anakin dodged by jumping and landing onto the nearby platform. The pattern seemed to resume itself whenever there was a large amount of walking space. Still each time, Anakin was the one walking backwards. 

In the midst of their pattern, a large flow of lava crashed onto the platform they were both standing on. The hot liquid gushed onto and over the beam and crept its way closer to them. Anakin was the first to run, quickly followed by Obi-wan. Once they were farther away from the lava, Obi-wan struck his saber down thinking he caught Anakin off guard. He did not. Anakin spun quickly and blocked the blow mid spin. Because of the odd angle he had attacked from, Obi-wan stumbled over and regained his balance a few feet away. 

They had a few moments to catch their breath. They leaned on a beam opposite each other, as they waited for the lava flow to pass. In the distance more eruptions of lava and magma could be heard and seen from the surrounding area. The metal structures that once had a purpose, were now catching on fire and melting into the lava. Obi-wan and Anakin were both in one of the said metal structures. They needed a way out before they melted. Both had tried to run back up the beam before it completely melted off, but to no avail. It was falling fast, with them on it. Both of them held on and braced themselves for impact. Once the larger part of the structure was in the lava, that left the beam standing upright, and Obi-wan and Anakin hanging onto what was once a floor. As the structure sailed off, much in the same way as a sailboat. Anakin and Obi-wan began their climb. 

Anakin climbed as fast as he could, but still had to reach backwards to block Obi-wan from slicing his legs off. The strikes Obi-wan was trying to pull off looked more like panicked flailing than actual saber strikes. He was determined to hurt Anakin, one way or another. Anakin noticed that they were coming up to a lavafall. He jumped forward and grabbed one of the cables and began to swing. Soon Obi-wan followed in his footsteps and jumped to a nearby cable. They both began to swing from the cables, and Obi-wan tried to strike Anakin anytime he was close enough. Anakin jumped from his cable and onto a small platform he had spotted while in the air. Obi-wan was still connected to the structure as it began to fall down the lavafall. Obi-wan jumped back onto the beam, and ran straight onto the burning metal that was closest to the lava. He then jumped with all his force onto the head on a droid. It’s head was shaped like a small shield, but had enough room for Obi-wan to stand on it. 

The structure that they once stood on descended further into the lava. Anakin still looked determined, but Obi-wan’s eyes were filled with rage, malice, frustration, and the intent to kill. All the makings of the dark side. Once Obi-wan brought his doid close enough, their ceaseless pattern picked back up again. Their platforms moved against the current of the lava as their fight continued.    
  
“I have failed you Obi-wan…” Anakin’s voice was filled with regret, and he sounded out of breath from all the fighting. “I have failed you...I should have been able to sense you turning. But I didn’t”   
  
“I should have known the Jedi were plotting to take over” Obi-wan now had a permanent glare on his face.   
  
“Obi-wan! Chancellor Palpatine is evil! He tried to corrupt me, but then he decided to corrupt you” Anakin yelled, voice hinting at anger and confusion that Obi-wan could not see the evil of Palpatine’s ways.

“From my point of view, the Jedi are evil. They restrict your ability to live, just so that they know that your loyalties lie with them!”   
  
“Well. then you are already lost…” Anakin had lost the one shred of hope he still had for his former master. The man who was the ideal Jedi, the man who was his father figure, his brother, and his best friend, claims that the Jedi are evil. There was no bouncing back from that. 

Their platforms moved around the rocks, and miners in the way. Yet, Anakin and Obi-wan never lost eye contact. Their platforms rushed against the current of the lava, leaving them nothing to do but stare at each other. Both of their robes were covered from small cuts and burns from either the lava or the lightsabers themselves, their hair was a mess from the wind, ash covered their faces and robes like they had been rolling around in soot. 

“This is the end for you, my padawan.” Obi-wan spoke, glaring daggers into Anakin’s soul. Anakin raised his saber and took a deep breath, ready for another round of their fight. Obi-wan bounced off of the droid's head, flipped, and landed on the other side of Anakin’s platform. Their pattern immediately resumed, at a faster pace then they had been at previously. Every time the lightsabers clashed, as they used as much strength as they could muster, Anakin could see Obi-wan’s now yell eyes glaring at him. Yellow eyes with murderous intent, He was unleashed, there was no stopping him now. Obi-wan glanced over and saw nearby land. He jumped up and flipped over. Leaving Anakin on the platform. Anakin moved the platform over to be closer to where Obi-wan was standing.    
  
“It’s over Anakin, I have the high ground” He spoke matter of factly, he even smirked. He was positive he had won.    
  
“You underestimate my power. You may have taught me Obi-wan, but I am stronger than you. And I will prove it by taking you down, and bringing you before what’s left of the council.”   
  
“You wouldn’t dare try anything so stupid? No, wait you would. Fine then. Bring it on” Obi-wan was taunting him now. 

Anakin jumped high off the platform and as he flipped to get over Obi-wan’s head, Obi-wan brought his lightsaber up and sliced off Anakin’s legs at the knee, as well as his still human arm. Anakin’s now limbless body rolled to the bottom of the hill, screaming in agony. Obi-wan smirked again and squatted down. “What is the galaxy going to do without their precious chosen one...you my dear boy, were supposed to bring balance to the force and all that nonsense. But here you are. Dying at the hands of the very thing you sought to destroy. Shame. I really did like having you around sometimes. You were a giant pain in my side most of the time, but you brought unexpected changes.”   
  
“W...Why are you doing this!” Anakin managed to grunt out. “You were my brother! I loved you!” 

“You were my brother too, that’s why it’s a shame it had to turn out like this.” Obi-wan got up, walked over to where Anakin had dropped his saber and picked it up. The lava got closer and closer and soon reached the stubs of Anakin’s legs. He screamed out in pain as he felt the burning sensation coarse through his body. Soon the flames had covered all of Anakin’s body. Obi-wan walked back over and kicked his screaming padawan into the lava. “Such a shame.”   
  
Anakin was dead. 


	5. Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cody loves Obi-wan, and will until he dies.

While Anakin and Obi-wan were fighting to the death, Cody and Padme sat in silence on board the ship. All seemed fine until Cody looked through the front window and saw Obi-wan walking towards them. Not only was he alone, but he was holding Anakin's Saber. Padme was still on the floor, slowly coming to the realization that Anakin was gone for good. Moments earlier she had felt her heart break, her soul had a missing piece and she denied the gap for so long.    
  
“Padme my dear, I know you’re in there.” Obi-wan’s loud teasing voice hit both of their ears, and a wave of fear hit Cody. His dear general had not only turned to the darkside, but with that turn he had turned murderous. “Oh come on out, I have something for you”   
  
Cody turned to Padme, but before he could protest and say it’d be safer to just leave. Padme stood. Through her tears and clenched fists, she stood up and walked out the door. Cody watched her through the glass, he stayed standing just in case he needed to run out and save her.

Padme walked as fast as she could towards Obi-wan. He opened his mouth to speak, but was quickly silenced by a strong punch to his jaw. He stumbled back slightly, clearly caught off guard by Padme’s aggression. While he was caught off guard, Padme reached forward and quickly took Anakin’s saber from his hand and his own from his belt. Then she started to yell. 

“ _ WE TRUSTED YOU! YOU WERE HIS BROTHER! YOU WERE OUR FAMILY! YOU, ANAKIN, AHSOKA, REX, CODY, AND I. WE WERE FAMILY OBI-WAN _ . I KNOW THAT NOT EVERYONE IS PERFECT, BUT WE COULD HAVE HELPED YOU! YOU COULD HAVE LEFT THE ORDER” She took a deep breath, trying to not let her tears mess with her voice. “We all loved you Obi-wan...You always detested people who killed those closest to you. Yet you knew you were above them...why...why did you-” Her voice was shaking, she was shaking. “Why did you have to...kill...Anakin...he did nothing but trust you. He never gave up”

“He was weak. We simply fought to see who was the superior. He was just a weak child, not my fault he lost.”

“This whole situation is your fault! You could have helped us fix this!” Padme looked down at the two sabers in her hand. “I may not know much about the Jedi, but I know that you do not deserve these” 

She turned and ran to the ship, once on board she sat in the co-pilot's seat. “Cody get us out of here”. Cody sat down, and did as he was told. Neither said a word for at least an hour. Padme couldn’t stop looking at the lightsabers that she took from Obi-wan. Anakin’s meant so much to her, it was his life, and one day he even made an example of that and gave it to Padme. Obi-wan’s was so important, so many battles had been won with this blue saber. Cody glanced down at it every few moments and remembered too many good memories. He remembered watching Obi-wan in action for the first time, taking down droids with elegance and style. He thought about the time that he had to use the saber and save Obi-wan, he had looked so starstruck that day. No one shut up about that moment for a long time. He remembered the color, how the blue matched with Obi-wan’s eyes perfectly. That blue meant hope, and it meant love and safety for Cody. Cody could cry, maybe he already was. The sound that broke the silence was Padme screaming. Concerned, Cody looked over at her to see that she was clutching the arm rests. 

“Cody- Medical station- NOW” 

“Sen- Padme? What’s going on?”   
  
“Water broke” She let out a painful groan. “MED STATION NOW”   
  
“Yes ma’am!” Cody was not trained for this. He plotted a course for the closest medical station, and flew the ship as fast as it could go. 

\---

The overall delivery went fine, Cody had been asked to stay at Padme’s side for emotional support since all they had left was each other. She had twins, a boy and a girl who she named Luke and Leia. Cody held the small baby boy in his arms as he showed him to his new mother. Padme seemed happy to have two adorable children. The doctor ordered her to take some rest, and shoved Cody out of the room. The babies were sent to a different part of the facility to get cleaned up and weighed. As Padme was resting, Cody sat with Bail Organa in one of the small waiting rooms. Bail had been called there at Padme’s request. Cody was helpful, but had close to no clue how to help. Cody explained the situation starting with Obi-wan going darkside, then the betrayal of the clones, Anakin’s death, and then he showed Bail the two lightsabers.    
  
“I don’t know what to do. I don’t think anyone does”   
  
“Keep Obi-wan’s lightsaber. I’m sure he’d like you to have it.” Bail was nice and trusting, and thankfully getting him to listen to Cody and not fear him didn’t take that long. He was good at doing the right thing. Cody nodded and put the saber on his belt clip, which he had added specifically because Obi-wan kept dropping it and Cody kept finding it. “See? Perfect fit.”   
  
Before Cody could laugh or explain Obi-wan’s clumsiness, one of the medical staff walked into the room. “Gentleman. I’m sorry” That’s all they said before leaving the room. A pit grew in Cody’s stomach and he ran out the door to the room where Padme was. Bail followed close behind. Through the glass they both could see the red screens and the flatline where her heart beat was supposed to be.    
  
“No...no…I can’t lose her too” Cody whispered to himself. 

The staff member from earlier was standing next to them. “We did all that we could, but it seems like...she didn’t have the will to live anymore.”   
  
“What’s going to happen to the twins?” Cody looked at the staff member. 

“My wife and I will take the girl, she’ll be safe there I promise. You take the boy to Tatooine, he has family there.” Bail suggested and that was that. Before he knew it, he said goodbye to baby Leia, and took a sleeping baby Luke to the ship Padme and him had come in. Bail already took C3PO and R2D2 off the ship and decided wiping their memories was the best option. There was a funeral for Padme on Naboo, sad, filled with people, Padme was dressed in blue and covered in flowers. Cody walked behind the floating casket, with both Obi-wan and Anakin’s lightsabers clipped to his belt. 

Once Cody had found some spare clothes that weren’t his clone trooper armor, he took Luke to Tatooine. Tatooine was about as nowhere as you could get, so perhaps he’d be safe there too. It’d be on odd change going from living with hundreds of people with action everyday, to absolute nothing all by himself. But it was for the best. He knew that. Bail had given him the names and coordinates for Luke’s extended family, once he arrived he knocked. A young man answered the door.    
  
“Owen Lars?”

“Yes that’s me. Can I help you?”   
  
“I was a friend of Anakin Skywalker, someone told me you two were family.”

“Sort of, I’m his step brother, but I don’t know him that well.”   
  
“He...he passed away, and so did his wife shortly after giving birth. Would you be able to take care of their son for them.”   
  
Owen accepted Luke into their home, and Cody left to go live the life of a hermit. Safe and under the radar

\---

During the years on Tatooine, Cody’s hair grew grayer, his face gained wrinkles, he now looked the part for being an old hermit in the middle of a desert. He didn’t like the sand, it got everywhere and always made him itch. Every time he complained about the sand, he’d remember Anakin complaining about it and everyone making fun of him. Anakin was right, sand sucks. Every once in a while he would check up on Luke, sometimes they’d run into each other if Luke was ever driving his speeder out past where Owen and Beru wanted him. They weren’t friends, but Luke trusted Cody. 

Then one day, everything got weird and horrible. Cody was just taking a walk as he normally did, helping smaller creatures and run away droids from the Jawa or sandpeople. During his walk he spotted Luke, passed out in the sand. He yelled as loud as he could and the sand people fled the area. Once the area was clear, he walked up to look and checked his pulse. He was still alive which was good. He moved to nudge him awake when he heard the faint beeping of a droid.    
  
“Oh, hello.” he heard more scared beeps, “well come on, I’m not going to hurt you. Don’t worry about him, he’ll be okay”

Soon enough Luke blinked open his eyes and slowly sat up. 

“Woah careful now, you’ve had quite the day.”

Luke rubbed his neck then looked up at Cody, eyes going wide for a split second then squinting in confusion. “Cody? Boy am I glad to see you”

“This area isn’t safe, you should know that. What are you doing out here anyway?” Cody helped him stand. 

“This little droid, I think he’s searching for his former master. I’ve never seen such devotion in a droid before” The two looked at the blue and white R2 unit. Cody may be old now, but his memory is still intact. Of course it’d be R2 to find him and get him into trouble, he did belong to Anakin. Somehow the recklessness rubbed off onto the droid. “He says he belongs to a ‘Commander Cody’. Do you know who he’s talking about. You two share the same name, so I thought it’d be you.”   
  
“C..Commander Cody? I haven’t heard that in years…” Cody turned his attention back to the droid. “You’re here to get me into trouble aren’t you?” R2 seemed pleased that Cody recognized him. 

“You know a Commander Cody?”   
  
“Well of course I do, He’s me. Well- was me. I’m not a commander anymore”

“Then the droid does belong to you” 

“No, I never had a droid. But I did know who he belonged to quite well.” Just then there was a loud terrifying sound in the distance, “We better get inside, scaring off a bunch of sand people wasn’t the smartest idea. Come on” 

After rescuing C3PO from the sand, and Cody groaning internally because of course- where you find R2, you will most likely find 3PO. They went back to Cody’s hut. Somehow they began talking about Luke's father. 

“No, my father didn’t fight in the wars. He was a navigator on a spice freighter” 

Cody did his best to not laugh. “That’s just what your uncle tells you to keep you out of trouble. He thinks that your father should have just stayed here.”   
  
“You fought in the clone wars?”

Cody let out a small chuckle. “Luke, I am a clone. I just became defective when everything went wrong. I fought alongside your father on many occasions”

Luke looked at Cody and tried to comprehend the fact that Cody, the town hermit, was a clone. “But you have a lightsaber on your belt”

“This was given to me by someone I cared about, he died with the rest of the Jedi that day but he wanted me to hang onto it. Oh, speaking of lightsabers” Cody got up from his seat and walked over to a small wooden chest, he opened it and grabbed Anakin’s lightsaber. He returned to his seat and handed Luke the lightsaber. “This belonged to your father, he’d want you to have it”

Cody explained the Jedi Order, what they stood for, and how they used their weapons and abilities for good until the war came. Luke had asked about the death of his father, Cody said that someone who he cared about betrayed him. And left it at that. It had been years, Cody still doesn’t like thinking about that day on Mustafar. Cody did his best to explain the force and how it works. He couldn't use the force beyond sensing Obi-wan’s emotions, and small feelings from others here and there. After that vague explanation, R2 beeped. 

“Right, now let's see what’s wrong with you this time you little astro-mech.” Cody lightly hit the top of R2’s head and a small hologram appeared on the table. The hologram was of a girl in a long white dress, she sounded serious but also in distress. 

“Commander Cody. Years ago you served my father in the Clone Wars. Now he begs you to help him in his struggle against the Empire. I regret that I am unable to convey my father's request to you in person, but my ship has fallen under attack, and I'm afraid my mission to bring you to Alderaan has failed. I have placed information vital to the survival of the Rebellion into the memory systems of this R2 unit. My father will know how to retrieve it. You must see this droid safely delivered to him on Alderaan. This is our most desperate hour. Help me, Commander. You're my only hope.” Message end.    
  
Cody sat back in his seat, taking it all in. He knew who the girl was, he knew the droids, and he knew what he had to do. He didn’t want to. He was done with adventures and even if he went, he’s not the Negotiator like Obi-wan was, nor is he the clone commander he used to be. He’s just a tired old man. He couldn’t even teach Luke about the force so that he could go.  _ Why is it always the Skywalkers to pull me into trouble. _

Cody mentioned showing Luke how to use his new lightsaber if he were to accompany Cody to Alderaan. Luke denied him outright, saying something about Owen and Beru already being upset with him. With a sigh Cody agreed that it might be safer for Luke to stay here. 

Upon returning the Lars home, after noticing something they didn’t want to see. The Lars’ were dead, burned to a crisp by the stormtroopers. The next few hours felt like days, yet they all blurred together. Luke was now set on becoming a Jedi, like his father. They sold his speeder to pay a smuggler and a wookie for transport to Alderaan. When they got to Alderaan, it had been turned to nothing but rocks floating in space. Everyone was dead. The large moon sized space station picked them up in their tractor beam. The three others went to rescue Leia, Cody went to find the off switch for the tractor beam so that they could leave. 

Everything had gone according to plan, whose plan he didn’t know, but everything seemed to be going alright. Cody peered his head around the corner before he made his way back to the ship, however as he looked around the corner he saw  _ him _ . Obi-wan Kenobi was walking towards him, he was wielding a blood red lightsaber and he was wearing all black. He looked too much like he had just raided Dooku’s closet. 

“If it isn’t my dear Commander...I thought I killed you on Utapau after you betrayed me”

Cody stepped out from the wall and walked towards Obi-wan. “I never betrayed you  _ cyare _ . Not even then.”

Obi-wan held up his blade pointing at Cody, “Do not call me that, your  _ cyare _ is dead. That man was weak and foolish”

“That’s just what Palpatine wants you to believe. I know it’s not true. Obi-wan Kenobi, the man I fell in love with- the man I still love, is alive.” Cody stepped closer.   
  
“No, you  _ liar _ . That man is  _ gone _ !”   
  
“Palpatine is just using you for your power. You’re the strongest man I have ever known, but once he gets what he wants...He will kill you. You know that i’m right... _ cyar’ika... _ Obi-wan, Please come home with me. End this stupid war. Isn’t that all you wanted? All you ever wanted was for the war to end.”

“It’s too late...my dear...I’ve done too much, and I cannot stop” Obi-wan’s voice was hinting at the sadness he felt in his heart, as he deactivated his lightsaber and dropped his hand to the side.    
  
“It’s never too late. Please...I love you still, I never stopped, and I never gave up on you. Come back with us...we can have a life together like we always talked about.”   
  
“Cody...Cody I’m too far gone, I just want to be free of this pain”

“My dear I will do anything I can to help you, just please come home” Cody stepped forward again, the pair were now in arms reach of each other.    
  
“Anything…?”   
  
“Yes of course” Cody could tell he was tearing up at this point, he needed Obi-wan back so badly. Obi-wan dropped his lightsaber and pulled Cody in for a hug, he wrapped his arms around Cody’s waist and rested his head in the crook of his neck. Cody quickly wrapped his arms around Obi-wan. 

Things would be okay, Obi-wan could bounce back, the empire would disappear, Cody could spend the rest of his days with the man that he has never stopped loving. “I love you Obi-wan…I never gave up on you”   
  
“I love you too Cody, and I’m so sorry”   
  
“Don’t apolo-” Mid sentence Cody felt an intense burning pain in his lower abdomen. He had just enough time to look down and see Obi-wan’s blue lightsaber sticking out of his stomach. 

Then everything went black. 

Commander Cody was dead. Killed by the man he loves most. 


End file.
